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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sustainable businesses are ready to unite

After BALLE leader speech, company owners agree to form local chapter

Linn Parish Down to Earth NW Correspondent
Sustainable-business advocates went into a Sept. 20 green-business networking luncheon asking the question: Is Spokane ready for a Business Alliance for Local Living Economies network? They left with an answer: an enthusiastic yes. Susanne Croft, the executive director of Sustainable Local Investment Partners, recruited BALLE Executive Director Michelle Long to talk about the organization, which helps communities form sustainable-business networks throughout the U.S., into Canada and United Kingdom. After the lunch, Croft, Long, and about 20 owners of sustainable businesses met to discuss whether they would form a Spokane group. Businesses represented at the meeting included Mountain Gear, Rings N Things, EcoDepot, Sun People Dry Goods, and Doma Coffee, among others. Within an hour, Croft said, the business owners had cut checks to cover BALLE’s $500 annual fee, organized a carpool to Bellingham for a orientation workshop, and set a date for a kick-off meeting in Spokane at the end of October. “It couldn’t have been more exciting,” Croft said. “I’ve had people getting back to me saying, ‘wow, that was amazing.’ Everybody said they’ve never seen so much excitement in a roomful of business leaders before.” Of course, Long set the table for an inspired after-meeting with her explanation of what BALLE does and how its exploded in growth since the first such business network started in Bellingham in 2002. In eight years, more than 80 groups of businesspeople in 35 states and provinces have established BALLE networks. They are found in most of the largest communities in the U.S.—New York City, Los Angeles County, Chicago, and Philadelphia, among them—and in small cities—Pocatello, Idaho, and Burlington, Vt., for example. In all, more than 22,000 individual businesses belong to BALLE networks. The organization, Long says, is the fastest growing sustainable-business organization in the U.S. BALLE’s stated mission is “to catalyze, strengthen and connect networks of locally-owned independent business that are dedicated to building strong local, living economies.” Its vision is that within a generation, the world will consist of local, living economies that operate in harmony with their local ecosystems. For examples of BALLE’s success, Long frequently referred back to the original BALLE chapter in Bellingham, which goes by the name Sustainable Connections. That group has grown quickly in its own right. Starting with no employees and no budget in 2002, the organization now has 14 employees and a $1 million budget. About 40 percent of its revenue comes from fees for services it offers, and 28 percent comes from its foundation’s fundraising efforts. The balance comes from membership fees, grants and miscellaneous donations. Sustainable Connections has led successful campaigns, in some cases in short time spans. For example, Whatcom County, where Bellingham is located, is the No. 1 user of green power in the U.S., topping all other counties with 12 percent of the power used coming from renewable sources. Prior to Sustainable Connections’ nine-month campaign, renewable-power usage sat at 0.6 percent. The organization has had successes—or at least progress—in the other areas with which it concerns itself: sustainable-business development, green building and smart growth, food and farming, and think local first. In general, Long said, the group has been credited with contributing to positive change for the community as a whole, not just the sustainable sector. For example, Whatcom County currently has a startup-business retention rate that is better than the state as a whole. Also, through the 2000s, the county has had an unemployment rate that’s 1.5 percentage points lower than the state average. That’s in contrast to the three previous decades, when the county’s unemployment was consistently higher than the state average. Successful BALLE chapters usually follow the same set of principles; Long said those that fail typically don’t follow these rules. First, she said, the individual chapters should be focused on place-based change, meaning they should focus exclusively on the region they serve and not get wrapped up in more global issues. Also, she said, the right people—business owners that people know, like and trust—need to be involved, ideally from the outset. At the same time, the groups need to be inclusive, allowing those who want to be on the same path to join the group. In addition, she said, the successful groups concentrate on solutions and what they are for, not what they are against. Businesses that are involved in BALLE, Long said, like to know they won’t be asked to picket or protest. There must be a bias for action, as opposed to study and discussion, and groups must measure results. Finally, she said, when a milestone or goal is reached, make it a good party. Give people a fun way to celebrate when benchmarks are reached. Croft said SLIP has provided some of the services that BALLE provides its members, such as business-to-business networking events, training and other resources. Sustainable businesses have been eager to have more services and interactions. “It fills a gap that’s out there,” Croft said. “The time is right.” For more information or to get involved, call Susanne Croft at (509) 209-2861, email susanne@slipspokane.org or www.slipspokane.org.